From Place to Place: Moving Countries

I've asked the travel community to share their own stories of moving from place to another, including my own story.

I grew up in Hong Kong and I moved to Leeds, U.K. on my 16th birthday. I moved with my mother and my sister, my Dad would come and visit us often as he works in Hong Kong. We decided to move for both me and my sister's studies, in Hong Kong I always participated in theatre shows and I have a huge passion for drama and theatre. I went on to be King Claudius from Hamlet performing in one of Hong Kong's best theatre company in front of thousands of people, I managed to share my passion for the arts on national television. However, growing up underneath the strict Asian values no matter at school or in society, I felt like an outcast. Most people would not value the arts and told me to scrape my dreams and focus on reality. I never knew what I wanted to be until I moved to England. I departed from Hong Kong International Airport at 12 am on the 14th of July, I waved my friends goodbye and headed straight towards Dubai for a layover, everything was so eye-opening, not to mention it was also very hot. I've only been to England when I was really young, like a few years old. Certainly, I would not remember anything, my mum does have pictures from our holiday in London and Cardiff that she would sometimes embarrass me with. I was not scared at all when I stepped on my final flight from Dubai to Manchester, I was hopeful. I hoped that I will finally be able to perform.

Moving was difficult, I think It was very hard to say goodbye to my best friends and having to start over in a different country. I stayed in Leeds, which is North of England. It was so shocking to me cause I have never really known what to expect. I used to watch a lot of U.S. TV Shows and that's how I saw England. It wasn't! The slang, the places, the food, it was all very different to me. However, once I have embraced the culture, I was immediately friends with everyone. 

I love England, everyone is very accepting, I went on the study creative and media and went to university studying culture and creative industries in London. Now I am living in London with a job in digital marketing. Doing my Instagram/blog on travelling and showing the world to others really does make me happy. I also met my boyfriend here in London and he is very supportive of what I have accomplished.

With moving, it is always hard. My advice is to embrace the culture, don't be afraid. Don't' be afraid to make the first step and say hi and listen to what people have to share to you and in return, you can share your culture with them.

Here are some amazing ladies that have gone through the same or similar things in life! Don't let it stop you when you want to move and start a new adventure.

Michelle de Vries - Netherlands to Australia

My name is Michelle de Vries, I am 24 years old, have a Dutch nationality and live in Australia.

I moved from The Netherlands to Australia in December 2016. Australia was always a place I was curious about. In 2014 I made the decision to visit for the first time and I fell in love.

I fell in love with the people, nature, the culture and the freedom. I found a home and that was for me the reason to move. Australia felt more like home than The Netherlands ever did.

It is a hard decision because you leave your secure environment, your friends and family and a lot of memories behind. But apart from that, it is the best decision I have ever made.

I found a place that feels like home and where I can live life to the fullest.

The process of emigration is a tough one and it takes a lot of time, energy and money. I found that the right guidance and information makes all the difference. Plan ahead, avoid surprises and don't give up, you can make your dream reality!

Blog link: http://myaussiedream.com/

Laura Plasencia from Hashtag #Viajeros - Spain - United Kingdom

From what country you moved to where

First, I moved from the Canary Islands (Spain) to London where I lived for 3 years.

When I came back I feel like I needed to improve my level of German so I moved to Berlin for another year for a volunteering project. Now I am currently living in Madrid.

Why you moved

First, I moved because I wanted to explore new places and find better job opportunities.

I thought that living in a big city will be convenient to travel so I used my time to organize trips every time I found some cheap flights and have free days.

This opportunity also helps me to improve a language and develop myself professional and personal wise. I have written about why you should abroad and what you achieve doing it but to give a hint It is proven by numerous studies that people who lived out for a while are able to boost their creativity, improve communication skills and even become more intelligent.

What the hardest thing was to leave behind

Family, friends, the beach side and the food.

When you live abroad you get to appreciate more from where you came from and your city, you experienced that you are lucky where you have been born but also where to live at that moment and get to value other cultures.

Even if there are hard times and you are feeling down because you miss your home, it is worth the experience and how much you learn in so little time.

What the best thing was you found in your new home

I learn more about myself and accomplish my dreams at that time.

Also, I found new friends from every part of the world and getting involved in a multicultural environment made me become more tolerant and open-minded.

Usually, in London and Berlin, everyone at your workplace is from a different nationality, in my case, there were more than 15 nationalities together from all continents, this makes you be surrounded by a variety of cultures on a daily basis and get knowledge from them.

How you experienced the process of moving and starting over

At the beginning, it was so difficult until you get established somewhere you can call “home”, a work or study schedule and a new daily routine. When you move somewhere you have all the illusion but sometimes things don't go as planned.

I believe that when we faced these difficulties and we get out of the comfort zone is when we grow personally and we get more independent and self-worth it.

Any tips for others

Just do it! If you think too much about insecurities and fears you will never do it.

The reality is that you will never be 100% sure to take the plunge even if you have been meditating for long or

you just decided a few months ago. There is no better moment than now.

Now I would like to help and encourage others that would like to live abroad and do not know where to start. Last

month, I have created a Consulting service for those who would like to study, work or volunteer abroad and the

best part is that it works on a donation basis as I believe everyone should have access to a service like this.

Blog: https://hashtagviajeros.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/hashtagviajeros

Charlene Dief - Santiago de Chile - Paris - Lisbon 

my name: Charlene

35 year old

French former graphic designer now a days life coach and creative mentor (i help women around the world to find there true self and have a healthier lifestyle, harmony in their mind and in their body)

From what country you moved to where

I was living in Paris for 4years (before I was living in Santiago de Chile and before that Paris) and in November 2014 i moved to Lisbon, Portugal.  

Why you moved

It was a mix between different reasons. After my first long experience abroad (1,5year in total) it was very difficult for me to re-adapt to my culture and the French society. I think when you discover that there are many realities and way of living it's harder to accept things as they are and the French society wants you to enter little boxes which were way to small for me. My break up with my boyfriend was the trigger that push me to explore new realities.  

What the hardest thing was to leave behind

I was lucky i didn't move very far so i was not in a position where i had to say goodbye to my friends and family (i come back very often to visit). My flat was the hardest, some of my furnitures that i design myself, some books too heavy to cary with me. But then you realize that all the material things are actually easy to forget. Sometimes when i go visit my parents i find something that i totally forgot about. :) 

What the best thing was you found in your new home

Definitely more friends! I met so many incredible people since i moved. Many of them already left Lisbon but we keep in touch and sometimes we manage to cross somewhere.  

How you experienced the process of moving and starting over - any tips for others

Be open. I think it's the main thing to keep in mind. Embrasse what life brings to you and experiment and enjoy. Take the best out of what happens. Living abroad and start over is very challenging, sometimes you want to give up and go home. In that moments it's important that you can have a friend that can cheer you up, even better if this person is also experiencing the same (i have very close foreigner friends here in Lisbon for instance). It doesn't need to be a crowd, just one or two is enough as long as you can rely on them. 

Facebook: @harmonizeyoumethod

Instagram: @mellesharl

website: www.harmonizeyou.com